Abstract: This invention discloses a method and apparatus for analyzing traffic on an ATM network, the network comprising a first plurality of stations to be interconnected by a second plurality of ATM connections, the method includes intercepting at least one ATM connection characteristic of each of the second plurality of ATM connections and storing the at least one ATM connection characteristic in an ATM connection characteristic memory, monitoring the amount of traffic passing over each of the second plurality of ATM connections and accumulating the amounts of traffic in the ATM connection characteristic memory; for at least one ATM connection subset including at least one of the second plurality of ATM connections which complies with a retrieval key, the retrieval key comprising a combination of at least one of the ATM connection characteristics, determining the total amount of traffic that has passed over the ATM connection subset by retrieving from the memory, using the retrieval key, the amounts of traffic pass

Abstract: This invention discloses a method for detecting a layout of a switched local network including at least one switching hub connected to a first plurality of elements, each identified by an address, via a corresponding second plurality of ports defining a corresponding second plurality of element to port connections, the method including determining all element to port connections for each switching hub, identifying the elements which communicate via each of that switching hub's backbone ports and based on the element to port connections and the elements communicating via each switching hub's backbone ports, determining the layout of the switched local network.An apparatus for monitoring a layout of a local network, the network including a first plurality of ports associated, via end-station to port connections, with a second plurality of end-stations is also disclosed.